The present invention relates to an interactive peer directory implemented on a digital computer. The directory provides for the online location of peers with expertise in a particular business or endeavor. Once qualified peers are located, connections to such peers can be requested for project, product and implementation advice and the like. The “Question Router” of the present invention is an extension of the Peer Directory disclosed in the above-identified parent applications and enables an increase in the Question and Answer rates in a peer forum system. The Question Router accomplishes this result by automatically sending the questions to the most appropriate subject matter experts in the Peer Directory.
Various tools for arranging business introductions are known in the art. For example, J. Greenfield U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0018851 discloses a network that uses registration information of multiple parties along with a matching function to match two parties that have a business contact that both parties would benefit from if the parties were introduced. Procedures are provided to notify the parties of a potential match, and to facilitate communication between the parties if the introduction is accepted by the parties.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,433 to Ebert discloses a system for providing adaptive virtual communities. By determining a technical or business context of a particular user, the system is able to match that user with other users who are likely to be able to assist the user within that context.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,035,838 to Nelson et al. discloses methods and systems for organizing information stored within a computer network-based system. Documentation relating to a plurality of topics and a list of experts on a plurality of topics is stored in a centralized database. A user interface enables a user to search the database for a specific item of information by at least one of a work function, a functional category and a community.
Prior art systems, such as those referenced above, generally provide too many potential matches between a requester and available contacts. The requester will then have to sort through these many potential matches to attempt to find a match that will be most relevant. Such systems can waste the requester's time and may not result in the best match being found, since the requester may settle for a less relevant match instead of carefully considering each of the many potential matches presented. Moreover, once a match is selected by a requester, the individual associated with that match may not respond to a request by the requester to communicate. This can waste more time, as the requester may wait several days to hear back from the match, only to find that no response is ever received. The requester will then have to find another match, with no assurance that the individual associated with the new match will be likely to respond to a request to communicate.
The present invention addresses the lack of a healthy question and answer rate in a web based community forum. A good question and answer (“Q&A”) rate is necessary to keep the community dynamic and healthy. Typically community managers play a big role in keeping the community dynamic by answering questions or facilitating the answering of questions. This can be a very manual and time intensive process. It would be advantageous to increase the question and answer rates in a community forum in an automated fashion, thereby cutting down the amount of manual intervention.
In an improved system contemplated by the present invention, clients (peers) consist of a highly respected set of experts in their areas. Peers are encouraged to post their questions/thoughts on the community Q&A forums. A system in accordance with the present invention can then used to help increase the engagement of community members in the forums and get their questions answered.
It would be advantageous to provide improved apparatus and methods for routing questions posted by peers to other peers in the community that can assist a user in solving a business or technical problem. It would be further advantageous if such apparatus and methods would provide more relevant matches to the requester, to increase the likelihood that a helpful peer will respond to the questions quickly and efficiently. It would be still further advantageous if potential matches presented to the requester comprise peers that are more likely than not to respond to a request to communicate with the requester. In particular, it would be advantageous to increase the question and answer rates in a community forum in an automated fashion, thereby cutting down the amount of manual intervention.
The present invention provides an interactive peer directory that enjoys the aforementioned and other advantages.